We have another El Derbi Mardileno coming our way this week, with Real Madrid hoping to avenge the result of the last one. In 26 matches so far this season, across all competitions, Real’s form looks like this: W22D3L1.
If you don’t already know who is responsible for that single loss, you can probably infer that by the fact we’re bringing it up now: Atletico Madrid.
El Derbi Madrileño FYIs
Competition: Supercopa de Espana Semifinals
Kickoff: Wed. Jan. 10, 8pm, Al Awwal Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Starting XI Predictions: Real Madrid Atletico Madrid
Team News: Real Madrid Atletico Madrid
European football book authored by The Sports Bank Founder Paul M. Banks: go here
Yes, it’s true, Atleti is the only team to beat Los Blancos in all of 2023-24, and they did so back on Sept. 24 in a La Liga fixture. Now, here in the Spanish Super Cup semifinals, we’ll see if they can flip the script on their intracity rivals.
Let’s take a look at what kind of lineup Carlo Ancelotti could pick here, in the interests of making that happen. Expect a cup competition type of starting 11, but there will be some squad rotation from the side that just vanquished Arandina.
This will be a stronger team, overall.
Real Madrid Starting XI Prediction vs Atletico Madrid (Super Cup Semifinals)
Kepa Arrizabalaga; Vinicius Tobias, Nacho, Alvaro Carrillo, Fran Garcia; Luka Modric, Dani Ceballos; Rodrygo, Arda Guler, Jude Bellingham; Joselu
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.